


And Pokey!

by one_golden_sun



Series: Poly Gay Trio Modern AU [11]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aftercare, Angst, Crying, Established Relationship, Fluff, Little Space, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, pokey the turtle - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 21:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9845252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/one_golden_sun/pseuds/one_golden_sun
Summary: Blame @zipperkittenThis answers two questions1.) What Alex bought in the Chinese pavillion in MMPOE2.) Where was Pokey for John's aftercare in Dirty 30NOW YOU KNOWcome scream at me on tumblr @likearootlesstreeI deserve it





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [zipperkitten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/zipperkitten/gifts).



_SUMMER 2016_

Even though George was Alex’s boss, Lafayette had some weird thing for him. Not really a crush, exactly, but he really looked up to and admired him, went out of his way to do nice things for him. He loved talking to him at Alex’s office parties, had a sort of polite repertoire with him that John found fascinating and Alex found annoying. So, naturally, after a cookout at the Washington’s on Memorial Day Weekend, when George mentioned in passing that they had no one to watch their weimaraner Liberty for the following weekend when they were out of town, Lafayette immediately volunteered. 

“Are you out of your mind?” Alex snapped on the subway ride home. “That dog is nuts, she needs space to run, she’s on this weird raw diet, she has like a million toys, spoiled rotten--”

“For someone who claims to hate her, you sure know a lot about her,” John noted. 

“Well, Wash doesn’t shut up about her, she’s like his kid.”

“All the more reason we should look after her!” Lafayette replied. “He trusts us with his most loved pet, his darling Liberty! Think of how much he will appreciate this, how he will think of you, Alexander!” 

Alex mumbled something about wanting Washington to think of him in terms of his work, nothing else, but Lafayette paid him no mind.

***  
It turned out Liberty was a fine house guest. This became apparent Friday night, hardly an hour after George dropped her off, along with her massive crate, a duffel filled with her toys, and a cooler containing several tupperwares filled with a sort of pinkish paste.

“I grind all her meals myself,” George said proudly. “That should be enough for the weekend.”

“What’s in it?” John asked conversationally, examining one of the tupperwares.

“Beef, turkey necks, some liver.” 

Alex looked green. 

“Also, make sure she has Squeaky Duck in her crate with her at bedtime, or she will cry all night.”

“Squeaky Duck, yes sir, we will,” Lafayette said breathlessly. 

“Alright, we’ll be back around 3 on Sunday.” After Washington said an embarrassingly mushy goodbye to Liberty, and the door was shut, the dog went from sitting obediently by the door to making herself completely at home on their couch. 

“Hey!” Alex grumbled. “That’s my spot!” Liberty looked up from where she lay, Squeaky Duck between her massive paws.

“Aw, I think she’s cute!” John said, flopped on the couch next to her so he could rub her velvety ears. Alex would swear up and down the look Liberty gave him was smug and triumphant. 

But he had more important things to do then enter a staring contest with a dog. He shrugged, went back into his office to work. 

***  
Alex made himself scarce on Saturday, drove out to the island to see Angelica and her kid for brunch, leaving Laf and John to deal with Liberty and their normal Saturday errands.

John took Liberty on his morning jog, really enjoyed having her trot beside him while he did a few miles in Central Park. She was good company, jovial and spritely. Running with her, he caught the eye of several men in the park, which made him feel attractive.

“Shame I’m not single,” John said conversationally as he unhooked her leash in the kitchen. Lafayette, glittering with sweat and looking gorgeous in his yoga pants and tank top, handed him a smoothie he just blended. “Liberty is an incredible wing woman. A few dudes were checking us out.”

Lafayette smiled at this. “That so?” he teased, went hip to hip with John. “I cannot blame them, you look quite fetching in these shorts.” 

“It’s the dog,” John asserted. “She’s really pretty.” And he wasn’t wrong. She had the fine bones of a purebred, tall and loping and a gorgeous gray-blue color, her eyes two soft chips of ice. “I doubt I am their type anyway.”

“They are the loss,” Lafayette said with mock sadness, kissed John’s forehead. John rolled his eyes and grinned like he always did when Laf butchered a turn of phrase. “Just as well, I am too tired to go beat anyone up at the moment.”

After a shared a shower, they debated on what to do with Liberty while they ran errands. She was well trained, and George had assured them she could be left out while alone. John was nervous at first, but had to admit that, aside from her fussy diet and complete commandeering of the couch, she was a Good Dog, and could be trusted. 

“Bye, Libs,” John said. Liberty looked up from her small stockpile of stuffies: Squeaky Duck, Wally the Walrus, Brown Bear and Busy Bee. “Be good!”

***  
As soon as they had lugged the groceries in the door, the state of the apartment was concerning, to say the least. There was bits of white fuzz and fluff everywhere, and Liberty nowhere to be seen. 

“Liberty?” John called out. “Damn, it looks like she destroyed one of her toys.”

“Oh my,” Lafayette said, surveying the mess. “I can handle the groceries if you want to track her down?”

John sighed, bent to pick up a bit of fluff on their carpet. “Sure.”

Finding Liberty wasn’t too hard, John just followed the trail of fluffy white stuffing. There were a few scraps of tan and green mixed in. “Which one your babies did you kill, Liberty?” John asked allowed. Squeaky Duck had the coloring of a mallard, so he suspected that was the victim, but it seemed unlikely as George emphasized how much Liberty loved Squeaky Duck. 

“Oh, Alex is going to kill you if he knows you went on the bed,” John said. Liberty lay in the center of their bed, looking chastened. “What you got there, Libs? One of your babies?” Then Liberty lifted her head, a scrap of emerald in her mouth. 

A very familiar scrap of emerald. 

“Liberty?” John cried out, scrambled onto the bed, tugged what she had between her paws. When he saw what she had, his world went bright white and he shrieked.

***

Lafayette head John screaming from the kitchen. He dropped the loaf of bread he was holding and shot off to the bedroom. “My darling, what is is? Did Liberty bite you? Did you see a spider?” 

John’s screeching sent Liberty running from the bedroom, tail between her legs, trailing fluff and green fabric in her wake. The sight of John on the bed broke Lafayette’s heart. 

He was crouched in a small tight ball, holding the remains of his beloved stuffed turtle Pokey in his hands. All that was his shell, torn open and spilling stuffing, one flipper dangling at a harsh angle. John was trying to cram the stuffing back into his shell, but it was futile since there were several jagged tears in the body. Not to mention his missing head, back legs and left flipper. 

And John was positively sobbing, almost unable to breathe he was crying so hard. Lafayette was frozen in shock, the carnage of white stuffing and green cloth all over the bedroom, and honestly was at a loss where to start. Clean up the mess? Comfort John? Call Alex? But then John was wailing harder, his face red and tears everywhere, so Lafayette climbed into the bed and drew him into his arms. John was stiff as board, his whole body responding to the despair he clearly was overwhelmed with. 

And Lafayette understood why. Pokey was an important possession. A gift from Laf originally, one that triggered John to finally accept the love and affection Lafayette and Alex were trying to give him. Pokey was a source of comfort, a talisman against pain, a symbol of the comfort John felt from Alex and Lafayette. John needed Pokey when he was sad, when he was scared or when he dropped. 

“Oh, my little one, my poor darling baby boy, it is ok, cry as hard as you want.”

“P-p-pokey,” John hiccuped, shivering. “Poooookey.”

“I know, I know. It is very painful, we will get through it.” 

“Can you fix him, Daddy?” John whimpered. Held up the ruined remains, spilling frothy white fluff and dangling threads. “Please?”

Lafayette didn’t know how to tell him the truth. The toy had been mostly shredded. “When Alexander gets home, we will see.” 

***

Alex was baffled by the series of texts from Laf. He asked him if he could pick up a nice, decorative box, and a shovel. Also if he knew of any local toy stores in the area, not sex toys but actual toys. Alex did as he was told, was mostly shocked when he walked in the door. 

First off, Liberty was slunk off in the corner, her stockpile of toys near by. There was fluff everywhere, fluff and green bits. He could hear Lafayette’s voice coming from the bathroom, so he he set the box and shovel down, made his way there.

They were in the bath together, John looking small, pale and vacant in Lafayette’s arms. Lafayette was running his fingers through John’s curls, singing softly… A lullaby in French. Alex was miffed for a moment that they had apparently spent the afternoon playing without him, but then Lafayette stopped singing and spoke to him in French.

 

“ _Liberty tore apart John’s Pokey today,_ ” he explained. Oh, that explained the mess. “ _John is very upset. Can you go around and get up the remains? Place them in the box?”_

“I can,” Alex said softly. Oh, this was bad. John loved that damn turtle, it was like a security blanket or something. And he had been a special gift from Lafayette. Fuck. “Damn it, Liberty,” Alex grumbled as he picked up clumps of stuffing in the hallway. “You bitch.”

It was incredible just how much stuffing that toy held. Alex collected up all of it, along with the green pieces. His little legs had been chewed into ragged chunks, the flipper that had come loose was nothing more than a shredded lump. And his head… Well, his head had been reduced to a mass of green and fluff, both of his glass eyes chewed off. Alex couldn’t find the eyes, wondered if Liberty had swallowed them. “Hope they hurt coming out the other end,” he snapped, venom in his voice. Fucking dog. 

With the remains of Pokey tucked away in the box, Alex went to tell Laf the coast was clear. They spoke in hushed French while Lafayette toweled John off. John moved like a zombie, barely said two words. Once he was in his space-themed pajamas, they tried to ply him with cookies, ice cream, pizza, a movie. He responded to nothing, so Lafayette just wrapped him up in a blanket, put on _Mulan_ and had Alex sit with him while he took Liberty for a short walk. 

Lafayette returned with pizza and ice cream. They tried, with little success, to get John to eat. He had maybe four bites before he started to cry again.

“Papi,” he heaved. “Papi, I want Pokey.”

Alex looked to Lafayette for help, who returned his gaze just as lost. “I’m sorry, baby boy. Pokey’s gone,” Alex said. John just cried harder. He continued to cry, all through Lafayette tucking him in, cried against Alex’s chest, cried until his pillowcase was soaked. 

Cried until he finally fell into a tense, shuddery sleep, his face still pinched. 

***

“I’m sorry,” said the toy restoration artist in the village. His eyes looked like bug’s eyes behind his glasses. “I can’t repair this.”

“It’s ok,” Alex said, resigned. Took the box back regretfully. Examined the wall of the stuffed toys in the shop. No sea turtles.

***

“Do you want me to order another one, my love?” Lafayette asked John a few days later, when the initial burn of loss had faded just enough. “He will be the same.”

John poked his lip out. Glared daggers at Lafayette. A look he never gave him. “He won’t be the same,” he said bluntly. “Won’t be the same at all.”

***

Pokey was buried roughly two weeks after his untimely demise. They buried him near the river, in silence. John looked exhausted. Alex felt he should worry that his boyfriend was so shaken by losing a toy, of all things, but knew better than to ridicule him for it. 

John didn’t mention Pokey again.


	2. Chapter 2

_NOVEMBER 2016_

Alex was drunk, but not that drunk. Not too drunk that the shelves of beautifully crafted stuffed toys passed his notice. He glanced at Lafayette and John, who were examining a display of bamboo plants in tiny ceramic planters. John was pretty far gone, Lafayette slightly more composed. They were in the Chinese pavilion in EPCOT, having just consumed the alcohol of eight other countries in succession. 

His heart almost stopped. _They had a sea turtle._

A giant one. More muted colors, pastel green and a touch of cream. His features were embroidered. He was huge, but still a little smaller than Pokey the First. Alex immediately snatched him off the shelf, went to the nearest cashier. 

“Whatcha buying?” John came up behind him, making him jump. They both giggled. 

“Surprise,” Alex said gruffly. The kind young lady behind the counter wrapped the turtle in tissue paper before John could see him, slid him gently into a bag.

As they stumbled into the hotel room, Alex snuck over to his suitcase, lovingly set the parcel in. John was too distracted by giggling and making out with Laf on the bed. He seemed to have forgotten Alex bought anything at all.

***

John was having very obvious post vacation blues. He moped around the apartment, did all his work from home so he wouldn’t have to change out of his Mickey pajamas. The third day Alex came home from the office to find John, box of crackers in hand, watching another rerun of America’s Next Top Model on Hulu, hiar a poofy mess, he sighed and went to the closet, dug out his suitcase.

“I was gonna wait for Christmas, but clearly you need this.”  
Lafayette came out of the kitchen to watch what was happening on the couch. 

“Disney?” he asked, spotting the obvious blue and spangled shopping bag. “We’ve been back for a few days.”

“Yup,” Alex said simply. “I found something for him while we were there.”

John looked puzzled. “For me?” 

“Uh huh. Go wash your hands first, I don’t want you to get Cheez-it crumbs all over it.”

With his hands clean, Alex set the parcel in John’s lap. Still looking confused, he slid the contents out, the bulky squishy thing still wrapped in tissue paper. He unwrapped it carefully, his confusion morphing into delight. 

“Turtle!” he squealed. “Turtle! Oh Papi, I love him. I love him so much.” He stared at him from every angle, flapped his flippers, pet his shell. He was velvet soft, with his new sheen and delicate features. John kissed the toy on the head, then set him carefully on the arm of the couch. “He is perfect.”

“Yeah?” Alex said breathlessly. “You like him?”

“Love him.” John looked at Alex shyly through lowered lashes. “Love you.” 

“I’m glad.” And suddenly John was in his lap, grinding down, kissing his neck.

“Thank you, thank you.” His words tickled. “Love you, love you so much.” 

“Wanna show me how much?” Alex teased, pushing up against John’s backside, holding his hips. Lafayette hummed his approval from the sidelines, recognizing the need for the two of them to connect one-on-one. That was fine, he could watch.

“I do,” John simpered. “Wanna love you real hard. But…” He shot a guilty look at the stuffed turtle. “Can’t do it in front of Pokey Two. He’s just a baby.” 

“Right you are,” Alex said. “So take me where you want me.”

John did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame @zipperkitten
> 
> This answers two questions
> 
> 1.) What Alex bought in the Chinese pavillion in MMPOE
> 
> 2.) Where was Pokey for John's aftercare in Dirty 30
> 
> NOW YOU KNOW
> 
> come scream at me on tumblr @likearootlesstree
> 
> I deserve it


End file.
